It's just not fair. He has lost so much, and has so little. His heart is basically made of black obsidian, but why does it seem to burn whenever… they are around?
After the end of the Giant War, Jason may or may not have hinted to Percy that he should talk to Nico about the awkwardness that was plaguing the air between them. And although Nico avoided Jason like the plague for about a month afterwards, he would grudgingly admit that it had helped him in some way. Not that he'd ever publicly admit it, of course. He still had his death-kid reputation to keep. Hey: someone had to rain on the Aphrodite Cabin's parade.
They had talked, Percy and him. Sprawled on the grass near Thalia's Pine, the fresh aroma of the forest swirling around them. The memory of his confession to Percy was still ingrained in her brain. Well, his second confession, that is, just to make sure that he got the message. Of course, the oblivious demigod had said, "I'm glad you like me, Nico!" and had almost got up to leave before Nico blurted it out. Way to ruin a moment, man.
"Percy, I… I used to like you as more than a friend. But of course, that's not how it is anymore. I just thought you should know." He remembers stammering over his words, and Percy, the ever-so valiant knight, had sat next to him as they talked. The cool air and Percy's kind eyes had calmed him while their conversation continued. Nico's emotions started to flood out like how some people say they love: slowly, then all at once. He was pretty sure that it was from sappy teenage book with too many metaphors; not that he read those, of crouse.
During the 40's, it was unheard of for anyone to not like the opposite gender. Nico figured it had to do with the fact that only boys and girls would be able to… you know… make babies. There was no way that Nico could like boys, and no way that he wouldn't end up with a nice girl.
Percy (the sweet, oblivious dunce) ends up suggesting he join a LGBTQ+ group, and that there's one at his high school and this shy boy that he would just love. Nico doesn't even know how Percy can miss the "love development", as Piper so fondly puts it, between him and a certain son of Apollo. But then again, he was the last one to know of "Percabeth", even if he was ½ of the glorious duo. A little bit of his heart just loves Percy even more, at that moment, as Percy starts going into his over-protective big brother mode. "If anyone, anyone hurts you - Nico, you know I'll be there. You're like the brother I never had. Well, I have Tyson. He's great, but… oh, you know what I mean." He claps him on the back as he stretches out his legs and announces that he needs to do cabin inspection with Annabeth soon.
Annabeth. Nico doesn't dislike her, just dislikes the fact that she spends so much time with Percy. After their time in Tartarus, Nico figures that it makes sense for the two of them to rely on each other more, to stay close in case of danger. He can see that they really do love each other, and it hurts. It hurts to know that the one boy that Nico has ever liked in his long, long life is completely off the market. He remembers hearing Piper and Jason talk about the two of them, or Percabeth, as they are affectionately dubbed by the Aphrodite cabin. He's moved on, he's sure he had. But people say that you truly never get over your first love, especially when said love was there for you like an older brother, in a non-incestual sort of way.
"I heard them talking about living in New Rome, you know. You know how all the ambassador work is doing over there. They trust Percy, you know, they really do. I think they like Annabeth because she's more put together than some of the other Greeks. They're doing a lot to introduce the new faun system and all that, so it kind of makes sense for them to move, you know?" Jason had been sitting with Piper at the campfire, way before it had begun. The pair had tried to include Nico in their conversation, but he prefered his solitude (and his ability to eavesdrop). The developments between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood had been doing fairly well, even if Nico had to fifth-wheel it with "Percabeth" and "Jaspiper" or whatever Jason and Piper were called. Despite his past participation with both camps, he really didn't know why someone would bother to ask him to go when there were four more capable people. But anyways...
"His family is in New York, I think, but California is where Annabeth's family is. Annabeth told me that he's looking into going to college in California, where she wants to do architecture. They can live at Camp Jupiter and drive every morning, plus stay safe at a camp." Piper is snuggled in Jason's shoulder as she talks. Their conversation eventually drifts elsewhere, but Nico can't help but feel sad. Not only is he sad that he doesn't have a companion like everyone else seems to, but he's sort of left out. He's not a new recruit, but he doesn't really fit with the older campers either. Even Leo, who had left for 3 months to hunt Calypso down, fit right back together with the crew like puzzle pieces.
It's Percy's life, he knows. It'd be great for them to have some normalcy in their life, and California is probably the perfect place for them to settle down and have cute little babies. Nico, on the other hand, will most likely live out the rest of his life doing missions for his Father and helping out at Camp. He's so socially awkward, he thinks, that he'll never be able to talk with anyone without sounding like a dweeb. What did Will even see in him anyways? And what happened to the happy-go-lucky kid who loved Mythomagic? Nico supposes that that part of him died when Bianca did. However cliché it might've been, a day could never go by without him thinking of her. How was rebirth? Was she safe? He'll never really know, but it's nice to think about what she could have.
As he sits on his bed, he contemplates his future. Will he ever meet someone and have a family? He already knows that Percy would like two kids with Annabeth, but probably not until they're much older. He knows that little clones of Percabeth will be running around sooner or later, as their happy parents chased them through camp. Would he ever get that for himself?
There's just so many people in love, or at least with someone nowadays. He wonders if anyone would ever want to spend time with him, the way that couples spend time with each other. It'd be pretty hard if one isn't sure of their own sexuality, he thinks, but he might as well take a page out of Percy's book and just wing it. Whatever's going on with him and Will, he doesn't really know, but hopefully it would turn into something great.
Three sharp knocks sound on his door before Jason invites himself in. Words spurt out of his mouth like Percy trying to defend himself after a "Finding Nemo/Little Mermaid" marathon, and all Nico can catch is "Will" "date" "music" "mission" before he rushes out the door with him. Looks like his day is finally picking up, for once.
Author's Note:
I originally wrote this before the release of the Blood of Olympus - so it may be a little AU. Please let me know your thoughts through a Kudo or a comment. Thanks for reading!